Hugh Cunningham Livres

Exploring the evolution of British democracy from 1832 to 1918, this book delves into the political, social, and economic changes that shaped the nation. It highlights key events such as the Reform Acts, the rise of political parties, and the impact of the industrial revolution. The narrative examines the struggles for suffrage and civil rights, providing insights into the roles of various social movements and influential figures. Through a detailed analysis, it presents a comprehensive understanding of how democracy was challenged and transformed during this pivotal period.

The Invention of Childhood will paint a vivid picture of the lives of children in Britain from pagan Anglo-Saxon times to the present day.

This book investigates the relationship between ideas about childhood and the actual experience of being a child, and assesses how it has changed over the span of 500 years. Hugh Cunningham tells an engaging story of the development of ideas about childhood from the Renaissance to the present, including Locke, Rosseau, Wordsworth and Freud.

Focusing on the emergence of a part-time military force in the mid-nineteenth century, this study explores its historical context and significance. Originally published in 1975, it delves into the motivations behind the formation of the Volunteer Force and its impact on society and military practices of the time. The book provides insights into the challenges and developments faced by this unique military organization, highlighting its role in shaping modern military structures.

Exploring the evolution of philanthropy, the book delves into the duality of public perception, highlighting the tension between admiration and criticism faced by philanthropists. It examines how the modern understanding of philanthropy as wealthy individuals supporting good causes emerged and invites readers to reflect on the appropriate role of philanthropy in contemporary society. Through its original insights, the work aims to enhance the discourse surrounding charitable giving and its implications for humankind.

This book traces the history of the relationship between work and leisure, from the 'leisure preference' of male workers in the eighteenth century, through the increase in working hours in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, to their progressive decline from 1830 to 1970. It examines how trade union action was critical in achieving the decline; how class structured the experience of leisure; how male identity was shaped by both work and leisure; how, in a society that placed high value on work, a 'leisured class' was nevertheless at the apex of political and social power until it became thought of as 'the idle rich'. Coinciding with the decline in working hours, two further tranches of time were marked out as properly without work: childhood and retirement.

First published in 1980. This book is a study of what different classes of society understood by leisure and how they enjoyed it. It argues that many of the assumptions which have underlain the history of leisure are misleading, and in particular the notions that there was a vacuum in popular leisure in the early Industrial Revolution; that with industrialisation there was sharp discontinuity with the past; that cultural forms diffuse themselves only down the social scale, and that leisure helped ease class distinctions. An alternative interpretation is suggested in which popular culture can be seen as an active agent as well as a victim. This title will be of interest to students of history.

Kinder – geliebt, gehätschelt, ausgebeutet • Die Wandlungen im Leben der Kinder vom Mittelalter bis heute • Das Standardwerk über Leben und Erziehung der Kinder von 1500 bis zur Gegenwart Cunningham umspannt in dieser Geschichte der Kindheit ein halbes Jahrtausend vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Er zeigt, wie sich die Lebensverhältnisse der Kinder innerhalb der Familie und des Schul- und Erziehungssystems bis heute verändert haben und präsentiert seine umfassende Kindheitsgeschichte vor dem Hintergrund der großen historischen Umbrüche. Alle wichtigen Themen kommen zur Sprache: Kinderspiele und Kinderspielzeug ebenso wie Kindesmisshandlung und Kinderarbeit. Die ungeheuren Unterschiede zwischen Reich und Arm werden ebenso thematisiert wie die kritische Frage, ob wir wirklich in einem 'Jahrhundert des Kindes' leben.